CO2 laser modification on synthetic fibres:effect on dyeing properties

Abstract

Infrared lasers, like CO2, appear to be advantageous due to their large beam size, high efficiency, easy operation, use of non-toxic gases and low cost. However, they have been less used than others for the surface treatment of polymers, likely due to the thermal damage effects caused by infrared radiation. This shortcoming can be overcome by use of pulsed lasers. CO2 pulsed laser can be considered as a non-contact and environmentally friendly treatment technique for modification of surface of polymers. Morphological modifications can result in changes on physical and chemical properties of the materials, such as water absorption and dyeing. In this work, polyester (PES) and polyamide (PA 6.6) fabrics were treated with a CO2 pulsed laser and then dyed with different commercially available dyes. Dyeing properties were investigated, as changes in the dye ability of laser treated fibres are expected, namely an improvement in those properties. In fact, laser treatment creates a certain roughness on the fibre surface, resulting in an increase of the overall surface area and a subsequent enhance of dye adsorption.